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American Rails box art

Base game

American Rails

Kritiku rating

Not rated

Published
2009
Reach
Niche
Players
3–5
Play time
90 min
Weight
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Ratings
0

How it plays

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Main mechanics

  • Worker placement
  • Drafting
  • Auction & bidding
  • Engine building
  • Trading & negotiation
  • Tile laying
  • Worker placement: You claim limited action spots before anyone else does.
  • Drafting: You pick from a shared pool and pass the rest along.
  • Auction & bidding: Value is set by what players are willing to pay.
  • Engine building: Small early moves compound into a machine that does the work later.
Full publisher description

In American Rails , each player assumes the role of a wealthy capitalist managing a portfolio of stocks and bonds in six fictional railroad companies. Through ruthless negotiation and rigorous planning, players struggle to increase the value of their holdings and reap the profits. The player with the most money at the end of the game will become the nation's first railroad baron and win the game. This luckless game was inspired by John Bohrer's creation of Chicago Express and the Historic Railroads System from Winsome Games . Set in the United States east of the Mississippi, American Rails features player-controlled variable turn order, city dilution , and variable set-ups, giving this cutthroat train game an unprecedented level of replayability.

Criterion breakdown

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Complexity

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Depth

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Luck vs Skill

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Player Interaction

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Table Experience

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Production

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